Perfect
by LadyoftheCity
Summary: modern high school AU. Merlin and Arthur are childhood friends, but Merlin resents Arthur as everyone believes him to be perfect. However, Arthur has other ideas about their friendship. Slash. Merthur. dub-con/non-con. Possessive/jealous!Arthur
1. Perfect

**Title:** Perfect

**Pairings:** Merlin/Arthur

**Word count for this chapter:** about 4000 words

**Rating:** M

**Warnings:** slash, malexmale, explicit sex scenes, dub-con/non-con, possessive/jealous!Arthur

**Summary: **modern high school AU. Merlin and Arthur are childhood friends, but Merlin resents Arthur since everyone believes him to be perfect. However, Arthur has other ideas about their friendship.

**AN:** This is a oneshot based on chapter 4 (called 'Complex 17') of the manga 'Kateyo', also known as 'Private teacher' by the mangaka Yuu Moegi, although I've changed some things to adapt it. As you see I own nothing. All credit goes to the creators of both BBC Merlin and the magaka. I just wrote this because this pairing reminded me of Arthur and Merlin (even physically) when I read the manga. English is not my mother tongue and this is the first fic I've ever published.

I also draw the picture that accompanies this fic from the cover of Complex 17. It has ended a bit of a mix of Arthur/Merlin and the original pairing, who were called Kouki and Nao in the manga.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

-~oOo0oOo~-

**PERFECT**

Merlin had known him all his life. Their houses were one next to other, their fathers worked for the same company, their mothers were friends since high school and even their birthdays were mere days apart and they were forced to celebrate them together. They were supposed to be childhood friends and as such they were always compared. Of course, it was Merlin who always lost.

_Arthur is such a cute boy. His blond hair seems to shine like threads of gold... Arthur has passed all his exams with great marks again. He's the first student in his class. He's so intelligent... Arthur is so good at playing sports. The football team wants him to be their captain... Arthur is such a nice boy. Yesterday he helped Mrs Alice with a heavy box..._

As you see, Arthur was exactly the opposite of Merlin. All people said that Merlin was too pale or too scrawny, not as handsome as Arthur. Merlin barely got some good marks in his favourite subjects, but nothing compared to Arthur's. Merlin hardly survived a sports lesson without falling or having a new bruise on his body.

That's why Merlin learnt to accept at a young age that there were things that no one can change. He assumed that he would never be as perfect as Arthur Pendragon. However, that didn't mean he didn't hate being compared with him every other day. He would even have forgiven and forgotten it more easily if he hadn't known that what people loved so much about Arthur was all false and that beneath all that intelligence and kindness Arthur Pendragon was an utter prat!

After about 18 years of knowing him, Merlin was almost used to it. Life with Arthur sucked. He just had to bear with it a little longer and then he would be able to move on. The examinations to enter university were some months ahead. With his marks, Merlin would have little choice but to go to an average university and try his best to get a degree in nursing as he had always dreamt. On the other hand, Arthur would have all the best universities begging for him to choose them and he wouldn't have to pay for it since he would get a sports scholarship. Moreover, he knew Arthur wanted to study something related to business.

And that would be the end of their childhood friendship. Perhaps, he would have to see him when he returned home on holidays and there would always be someone to remember him how awesome Arthur was, but he wouldn't have to be subjected to this continued torture any more. Or so he was thinking that day when his best friend Will greeted him at class.

"Hey, Merls, what's with you today?! What happens with that long face?!", Will almost tore off his head with the force he was ruffling his hair.

Merlin nudged him so that Will stopped his antics. But that didn't make him shut up. "So you are looking at Arthur again, aren't you? Did you come to school with him today too?"

"I wasn't looking at him!", denied Merlin, although it was clear that his eyes had been fixed on Arthur who was speaking amiably with some girls of the same class.

"Look, he is always surrounded by girls. It must be hard to be his friend. How on hell can you compete with someone who gets the best marks, has the best looks and everyone considers him the epitome of perfection?", reflected Will out loud while surrounding Merlin with an arm.

Merlin promptly got rid of Will's arm and said too loud for his own good, "But, that's not true! You just say that because you don't know him! Nobody really knows him, then you would have noticed what a prat he is!"

In that moment Merlin felt Arthur's gaze on him. '_Oh, crap. He's heard me_', he thought, but professor Wilson chose that instant to enter the classroom and he started one of his endless lessons on the human body which Merlin couldn't afford not to listen to because he was pretty sure that knowledge was related to his future job as a nurse.

MERLIN&ARTHUR

That same afternoon found Merlin going to Arthur's bedroom.

"You're late", said Arthur sharply when Merlin arrived with his hair still wet from the quick shower he had taken before coming. "I told you to come as soon as you finished your dinner."

Arthur's glare rooted him to the floor. "I... I've come as soon as I showered," stuttered Merlin. "As I always go back home late, I thought it would be better if I showered before coming. I didn't even dry my hair so I could come quicklier."

"Pfft... You should have dried it, idiot. We don't want you to catch a cold, do we?", asked Arthur with a smirk.

"But you said...", protested Merlin.

Arthur's smirk grew wider. Merlin hated it. Arthur was charming when other people were around, but he always acted so arrogant when they were alone. It was as if they were two completely different people.

"You should have it seen to, you know. It is said that having a split personality disorder is not a good thing," joked Merlin as he sat on the floor in front of Arthur with a mess of books and notes between them.

"What's with you? It's not me who needs help to study," replied Arthur angrily.

"And I didn't ask for your help." Merlin was getting angry himself.

"It's because of your mediocre results that I have to teach you. The examinations are not a long way off, you know?"

"It's all right. I just will go to a uni of my same level," commented Merlin.

Arthur looked at him as if he had heard the most shocking thing in the world. "What? What are you saying? You will go to the same uni as me, of course."

"Eh," it was Merlin's turn to get surprised. "Why? Who decided that?"

"Me, of course," said Arthur nonchalantly as he took one of the books on the floor and began to go through its pages.

"Do you have any idea how different our marks are? I will never be accepted in the same uni as you!", exclaimed Merlin.

"That's why I'm teaching you, you moron."Arthur just spared him a glance, showed him a page on the maths book and prepared himself to start his lesson.

"You're ignoring me completely", exploded Merlin. "That's not what I want to do."

"You... Are you planning on separating from me?" For the first time Arthur seemed doubtful and something more that Merlin couldn't place. He was looking at him with wounded and incredulous eyes.

'_What on hell?_' Merlin couldn't think straight. Arthur was always teasing him. He was haughty and treated Merlin as an inferior, almost like a king would treat his servant. Why was he saying that now? What right did he have over his life? Just because Arthur was better at everything than him, that didn't give him the right to do with Merlin whatever he wanted.

Merlin grabbed the nearest object he found, a pillow, and threw it at Arthur with all the force he could muster. "Leave me alone! I have nothing to do with you!", shouted Merlin.

Arthur's response was throwing the same pillow at him. For a moment, Merlin was confused, but when the pillow was finally removed from his face Arthur was there and... He kissed him!

"Wha?", Merlin tried to push him away, but to no avail. "Stop." Arthur just pressed closer and continued kissing him. '_Gods_', Arthur's tongue was in his mouth. He didn't know how something like that could have happened or how to respond to it and his brain was stopping working correctly.

Suddenly, Arthur moved away and looked at him with a strange expression. "It would be all right if it was Will, wouldn't it?", asked he with a frown.

Merlin was beyond shocked. '_He kissed me. Arthur has just kissed me. Why?_'

"What does Will have to do with anything? I don't understand you at all", replied Merlin sincerely. Arthur was always so perfect and charming. Arthur was the one that had nothing to do with Merlin. "Anyway, it will be better for me if we don't go to the same uni. In fact, it would be better if we don't see each other again!"

Arthur was speechless. And that wounded look appeared again, just this time it was ten times worse. Merlin couldn't stand it any more. He had to go. He left Arthur there and ran as if his life depended on it. He didn't notice when he entered his own home.

"Merlin, is that you?", called his mother. "That was quick. I thought you had a lot to study..."

Merlin went straight to his bedroom and closed the door, after a monotonous "It's alright, mum. I'm going to sleep" to his mother, who looked at him worriedly.

He didn't know what came over him. He was crying. There, curled up in his bed, Merlin felt he had made a grave mistake. For once, he admitted it to himself - he was envious. Perhaps, he had always been. Arthur had everything. He could do whatever he wanted. But that was not his fault and Merlin had said such hurtful things... He should apologize the following day during their walk to school. That's it, he would say it was only a joke and everything would be all right.

However, he couldn't stop thinking '_Why? Why did he kiss me?_'

MERLIN&ARTHUR

The following day when Merlin went to Arthur's house, his mother informed him with an apologetic look that Arthur had left early that day. '_Wow, he must __be really mad about yesterday_', reflected Merlin. Either way, Merlin would see him at school.

His friend Will was already sitting on his desk and received him with a happy "Hey, Merls" and a punch in the arm as Merlin sat beside him.

"You came alone today. That's strange", commented Will.

In that moment Arthur entered the classroom ignoring all the girls that always competed to win his attention. That alone was strange, but what really made it was the loud "Fuck off" that Arthur dedicated to Sophia, one of his most tireless fans.

Everyone in the classroom froze. Arthur just glared at them and turned to his bag and books until professor Killian appeared and forced all the students to sit and prepare for a never-ending hour of England's most remote history.

After Arthur's display of rudeness first thing in the morning, few people approached him the rest of the day, his good friend Lancelot being one of them. Merlin, of course, was trying to pluck up some courage to apologize to him, but he never found the right moment.

At lunch time, Merlin overheard Sophia and her friends talking about Arthur's outburst. In fact, he suspected all the school was talking of it by then.

"I don't know what happened to him. I mean, he was so nice", was Sophia saying. "But now, he has lost all his charm... What kind of brute would address me like that in front of everyone. I suppose he is just like everyone else in this school – a complete moron."

Merlin couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't allow that. "Cut it out, Sophia", intervened Merlin. "It's enough that he has put up with your shit for these last years. That Arthur's a nice person doesn't mean he can't have a bad day or that you have the right to harass him EVERY FUCKING DAY."

He didn't realise it, but he was shouting. The students from the nearer tables were looking at him strangely and Sophia and her friends had a look of incredulity in their faces. But that was nothing compared to Arthur's. He was only some meters away holding a tray of food in his hands with a shocked expression. Merlin would have liked it very much if the earth had swallowed him up at that instant. Unfortunately, he was not so lucky and he had to leave the cafeteria and hide in the toilets for the rest of the break.

He didn't see Arthur in the following lessons since they had different subjects for the remaining hours of class. Nevertheless, Merlin promised himself that that same evening he would talk to him and he would apologize. Somehow, this situation irritated him. He had always known that Arthur was an arrogant prat, but he couldn't stand other people thinking the same. For them, Arthur was 'the epitome of perfection', as Will had said. He had to do something so that the old Arthur came back, because he knew it was all his fault.

MERLIN&ARTHUR

That afternoon Merlin entered Arthur's room without knocking, as always. Arthur was sitting on his bed reading a book, his room a complete mess. Merlin wondered what people would think of the perfect Arthur if they ever saw that room.

Arthur barely directed him a glance when Merlin closed the door silently. He couldn't contain himself any more. "What the hell were you thinking, you dollophead? I believed you had planned to spend your school years as the model student. Why did you...?"

"I've had enough", interrupted Arthur. "Anyway, there is no point any more."

"What? Why?", couldn't avoid Merlin asking.

"It's not your damn business, Merlin", was Arthur's angry reply.

Merlin was more and more confused. "But that's not true. Yesterday, I..."

"I'm telling you to leave me in peace. What a nuisance can you be, you idiot?", Arthur's voice was hard as he continued focused on his book, but Merlin could sense some inner emotion beneath all his nonchalance.

Then, Merlin understood it. He had really hurt him. He had gone a step too far and now Arthur hated him. And the worst was that all those cruel words he had said were not even true. Arthur had always been the best of them, the perfect one, and he had always hated it, but that didn't mean he didn't want to see him again. They were complete opposites and, somehow, they were friends. If he didn't apologize quickly, he was going to lose him.

"Was that all you had to say?", asked Arthur without bothering to look at him. "Then, leave."

Merlin felt he couldn't move. He was glued to the floor. He had to...

"Why... Merlin, why are you crying?" Arthur had raised his gaze a second expecting to see Merlin leave, but he was still there. He wasn't moving. He was simply crying silently.

Arthur put away his book and stood. He couldn't see Merlin like that and yet he had to say it. "Merlin, you were the one to say that you have nothing to do with me."

"I'm... I'm sorry", sobbed Merlin.

"Gods, Merlin. Stop crying." Arthur embraced him in an attempt to placate his tears. "You were supposed to be fine without me, weren't you?"

"That's why I'm saying I'm sorry." Merlin buried his face in Arthur's neck as he tried to control his weeping.

"It's all your fault, Merlin", explained Arthur. "You have always been so tiny, so defenceless that I have to be this way for the both of us."

"This way... What do you mean?" Merlin moved away so he could see Arthur's face. Arthur was looking at him oddly. "Arthur, please, tell me. I'm curious."

Arthur's gaze continued fixed on him. Merlin's big blue eyes were moist by the tears. He looked so cute and innocent. "That's what I'm talking about!", exclaimed Arthur suddenly.

Merlin's confusion spread all over his face.

"If I'm by your side as the perfect person, then no one will dare lay a finger on you", said Arthur without looking at him in the eye. "What I mean is..." Arthur was even blushing. "I love you, Merlin. Really, how dense can you be?"

Merlin's brain was trying to process it, but it was too much. Although now everything made more sense. Arthur kissed him. Arthur mentioned Will. '_It would be all right if it was Will, wouldn't it?_' Gods, he was jealous of Will! Wait a minute. And all that time Merlin was envious of his perfection, when Arthur was doing it for him.

"Hey, Merlin. Say something."

Merlin only blushed. Arthur had confessed he loved him. Arthur loved him.

"Hey, Merlin." Arthur took his hand forcing Merlin to finally react and look at him.

"Eh... I...", responded Merlin intelligently.

Arthur took him in his arms once more and started kissing Merlin's delectable neck.

"What... Arthur, wait. What are you doing?" Merlin tried feebly to push Arthur away. The truth was that it felt pretty good.

"I think I've waited enough, Merlin", whispered Arthur huskily in his ear and then proceeded to bite and suck it. Arthur's hands were already trying to reach bare skin sneaking under Merlin's t-shirt. He had to say something before losing all sense of reasoning.

"But, I haven't answered you yet!", exclaimed Merlin.

"It's all right, _Mer_lin. I can see how much you want this too all written over your pretty face", commented Arthur with a smirk.

'_He's a giant prat_' was Merlin's last coherent thought. Then, Arthur removed his t-shirt completely and started kissing and sucking his chest and nipples. He had never felt such pleasure in all his life. Every part of his body that came into contact with Arthur became inflamed. He felt he was going to burst. He had to stop this before it was too late.

"Arthur, stop. We should talk", pleaded weakly Merlin.

Arthur looked at him briefly with furrowed brows. "I think it will be better if we ask your body. I'm sure it will respond more honestly than you." And without warning he pushed Merlin into his bed and swiftly pulled his jeans and boxers off. Merlin was already hard and he hadn't even noticed.

"You are like this just because I kissed you a little." Arthur sat beside him and began to stroke his length at a leisurely pace from the head to the bottom. Merlin couldn't avoid a gasp as the pleasure he had felt before increased inexorably. He didn't have enough force to try and push Arthur's hands away and his body was more and more weak by the minute.

"Look at you, Merlin. You are so beautiful. Tell me. Tell me how you want it", was murmuring Arthur as he kissed Merlin's neck and cheeks without stopping his ministrations.

Merlin couldn't resist it any more. "No... No...", he said between moans. "Arthur... I'm... I'm coming..."

Then everything was white for a second. Or perhaps it was a minute. Or an eternity. When Merlin regained his bearings Arthur's face was in front of him. Merlin had slumped on the bed while unconscious and now Arthur was on top of him looking at him with lust clouded eyes.

"That was quick, Merlin", joked Arthur with a laugh.

"That's because you were touching me", defended Merlin.

"I'm glad to know it was because of me", said Arthur as he leaned down and kissed Merlin full on the lips. That distracted him. Arthur was a very good kisser, but of course he expected it since Arthur was good at everything.

However, he did notice when two fingers started to move inside of him quicklier. Merlin broke the kiss with a groan. "Stop, Arthur, what... oh." He forgot all his complaints when Arthur's fingers brushed something inside of him he didn't even know he had. He thought he was going crazy. Not five minutes ago he had come and now Arthur's fingers were driving him back to ecstasy.

He was about to complain again when he felt Arthur remove his fingers, but they were promptly replaced by something bigger. '_That's Arthur's..._' Merlin panicked. He felt fresh tears forming in his eyes. He had lost all control. He didn't know what to think or what to do any more.

"No... Arthur, stop", sobbed Merlin.

But Arthur couldn't. He entered Merlin gently. He kissed his lips, his face and his tears, all to divert his attention from the pain he knew Merlin was bearing with tightly closed eyelids and loud pants. When Merlin reopened his eyes, Arthur was fully seated inside him and grinning happily at him.

"Finally", he said. "I've always dreamt of doing this with you, Merlin." He started to move slowly at first. "Please, you can't allow anyone else to do this to you." His thrusts were increasing in strength and speed. "Just me, Merlin."

He was rubbing that special spot inside Merlin with every thrust now and their pants and moans were mingling together as their lips were mere centimetres apart. Arthur was looking at him directly in the eyes when he said, "You're mine, Merlin."

That completely did it and Merlin was coming for a second time. That pulled Arthur over the edge too and both of them ended like a tangled mess of limps on Arthur's bed as they tried to recover from their joint orgasm.

Merlin was the first to come to his senses. Arthur was sprawled on top of him and he had to push him a little so he didn't crush him. That made Arthur react and moved to the side bringing Merlin with him so that he was still in his arms.

MERLIN&ARTHUR

Next morning Arthur went back to being the perfect student he was. Merlin was watching him from his desk while Arthur was talking with Sophia and the rest of his personal fanclub.

"I'm so sorry", was Arthur saying. "I guess I just had a bad day, but I would never forgive myself for hurting the feelings of such beautiful ladies." Arthur's sweet words were accompanied by some giggles and an immediate acceptance of his apologies.

Merlin just frowned. After last night events it may seem that nothing had changed, but the truth was that everything was different now. Merlin and Arthur had fallen asleep in each other arms right after their 'ehem', let's call it 'first time together'. That morning had found them more or less in the same position in Arthur's bed.

It felt so awkward that Merlin couldn't stop blushing and hardly lifted his eyes higher than Arthur's chest. On the contrary, Arthur seemed so pleased with himself that he couldn't stop smiling and, for Merlin's mortification, touching and kissing him, although Merlin didn't remember having accepted Arthur's feelings or saying he corresponded them.

Anyway, Arthur had declared them officially a couple and had decided that he would continue being a model student so that no one would ever put their sights on Merlin. After all, Arthur was still and insufferable prat, but Merlin had come to accept that he was his 'perfect' prat, so he had nodded to everything and gone home to present a reasonable excuse to his mother for expending the night with Arthur and change clothes to go to school with him as always.

Arthur was still talking with his personal fanclub at the moment, but every once and then he spared Merlin a glance as to reassure himself that Merlin was there. '_Gods_', thought Merlin, '_I'm not even popular, why does he have to get so jealous about every little thing?_' Sigh. '_But he's so cute_.' His mouth split into a grin automatically.

Merlin was so distracted watching Arthur that almost had a heart attack when his friend Will approached him from behind and engulfed him in a bear hug. He was so surprised that he gave a little gasp which send both of them into peals of laughter. That's why none of them noticed the angry glare Arthur shot Will. '_How dares that bastard touch my Merlin_'.

THE END

-~oOo0oOo~-

Thanks for reading!


	2. Extra

**Title:** Perfect (Extra)

**Pairings:** Merlin/Arthur

**Word count for this chapter:** about 1700 words

**Rating:** M (but this chapter is T)

**Warnings:** slash, malexmale, explicit sex scenes, dub-con/non-con, possessive/jealous!Arthur

**Disclaimer: **All credits go to BBC Merlin and the mangaka Yuu Moegi.

**AN:** Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and followings that this fic has received!

Familiar: I think "Home tutor" is another of the names for the manga.

MiseryHunting and Khadi: I have already added a warning for dub-con/non-con. I'm really sorry if this fic has bothered you or someone else. I will be more careful about it in the future.

Rat3000: Don't worry about more (hot) slash stories. I will definitely post more.

Midnight bluestream: You were right, I reread it carefully and found some mistakes (thanks for pointing it). I have reposted an edited version of the story, but still remember English is not my mother tongue and this is unbetaed. If anyone detects more mistakes, just tell me and I will correct them.

Also, the chapter of the manga this fic is based on ended there. The author just published a little extra chapter more. I wasn't planning on writing it. However, to thank everyone that has read this, here it is. As the first chapter, I adapted it a little.

Enjoy!

-~oOo0oOo~-

**Perfect (Extra)**

"Hey, give it to me", commanded Arthur while extending a hand towards Merlin.

Merlin looked at him in disbelief. They were at break time at school. All the classes had a timetable that appointed the people responsible for cleaning the classroom every two days. It was Merlin's turn that day. He was currently taking out the bin to empty it in the container at the rear gates of the school when Arthur had accosted him unceremoniously.

"What?", asked Merlin stupidly. "Are you going to empty the bin for me?" He couldn't believe Arthur would do that nice gesture for him.

"Who is talking about the damn bin, you idiot?", Arthur's anger was clear in his face as he trapped Merlin against one of the walls in the corridor. "If you don't give it to me right now, I swear to god this evening you are going to pay for it with your body!"

Merlin's eyes widened with alarm and he looked around. "What?", said he quickly. "We are at school. You shouldn't speak like that... Someone could hear you..."

The corridor was deserted at the moment. Thanks God, most of the students were at the cafeteria. In any case, Merlin didn't want anyone eavesdropping their conversation. They had been together as a couple for some weeks and Arthur still insisted that he had to be the perfect boy in front of everyone in order to protect Merlin.

"Anyway, I don't know what you are talking about", shrugged Merlin. "Perhaps, if you told me..."

"Don't play dumb with me, Merlin", growled Arthur. "This morning, a girl from another class gave you a letter, didn't she?"

Realization dawned on Merlin. "Eh? So, was that what you were talking about?"

"What the hell did you think I was talking about? Give it to me right now!", as Arthur exasperation increased so did the volume of his voice.

'_How can he know it?_', wondered Merlin really puzzled. He was sure Arthur wasn't even near when that girl had approached him to give him that letter.

Arthur just crossed his arms and waited patiently while Merlin left the bin on the floor and got the letter out of his pocket. "As you wish", conceded Merlin. "It's only..."

Arthur didn't wait for Merlin to finish whatever he was going to say. He snatched the letter from Merlin's hands and threw it to the bin before Merlin had time to blink.

"Wait!", protested finally Merlin. "What are you doing?"

But Arthur simply grabbed the bin and turned around to leave and empty it outside himself.

"I will throw it away with this", he replied as he walked down the corridor.

Merlin's surprise paralysed him for a second. When he recovered he shouted at Arthur and followed him quickly. "Arthur! Wait! You don't understand it!"

"I just let him out of my sight for some bloody seconds and this is what happens!", was Arthur mumbling. "I can't lower my guard at all."

Suddenly, Arthur turned around and looked at Merlin straight in the eye. "And this is your fault too. Why the hell did you accept that letter?", asked he with some kind of controlled emotion. "You didn't think about my feelings!"

And Merlin saw it again all written over Arthur's face. It was so obvious. His stupid jealousy. The same that for the past weeks and even before they started their relationship had made Arthur glance at Merlin every few seconds. The same that made him be the perfect boy Merlin thought he hated but without whom he couldn't live.

"That's why I say you are a prat", commented Merlin fondly.

"You really...", tried to say Arthur. "Damn it." He turned away from Merlin once more. "Why can't you take me seriously?"

"Arthur, I told you it's not what you think." Merlin touched his arm lightly in an attempt to compel Arthur to look at him. "Please, just listen to me."

"Shut up!", said Arthur while trying to move away.

"She asked me to give it to you in her place!", cried Merlin.

Arthur froze in shock. It seemed that had appeased him a little. "Eh?", he said and at last he turned to look at Merlin.

"So you have stopped misinterpreting it, haven't you?, continued Merlin. "I don't know how you could think it was for me. I'm not popular!"

"It doesn't matter", said Arthur more subdued. "It's still the same. I'm not going to read it." And with that he walked to the exit and went out.

"Why?" Merlin followed him outside. "And just like that, you are going to throw it."

"Now that I have you, I don't need anyone else", remarked Arthur.

For a moment, Merlin was delighted. That he was so important to Arthur made him extremely happy. That Arthur kept on telling him things like this, or repeating '_I love you_', truly amazed him. But still...

"I love you too, Arthur," said Merlin sincerely and Merlin's joy was nothing compared to Arthur's at that instant. His mouth split unconsciously into a wide grin and the bin slipped from his hands and fell to the floor with a soft thump. At last, Merlin had admitted out loud what he really felt for Arthur. However, Arthur's pleasure at Merlin's declaration diminished due to his following words.

"But...But I don't like the way in which you reject other people's feelings."

That, however, annoyed Arthur. "You always have to complain..."

Merlin didn't say anything but his face told Arthur everything he had to know. That was the moment to give in if he wanted to keep Merlin's affection. And it wasn't difficult when Merlin was pouting at him like that. '_Gods_', he thought, '_why does he have to be so cute?_'

"Alright." Arthur took the letter form the bin and shoved it in his pocket. "But I'm going to reject her. Do you hear me?", warned Arthur.

"Thank you, Arthur." Merlin's happy smile did it and Arthur couldn't contain himself any more and gave Merlin a sweet peck on the lips. It was the first time Arthur had lost control like that at school and in the open but, somehow, Merlin felt as if he had won something. He felt that it was possible for him to have a relationship with Arthur in which both their opinions actually mattered.

As Arthur walked away with the bin leaving behind a daydreaming Merlin, his personal fanclub appeared.

"Arthur! Arthur! Is your turn to clean the class today?", Sophia asked.

"No, it isn't", answered he kindly. "It's Merlin's, but as he seemed so stressed, I decided to help him."

His words were received with some awwws and comments like '_Oh, Arthur you are so nice_', which of course Arthur tried to deny.

Merlin was impressed once more with Arthur's transformation. Although he had already seen it countless times, it never ceased to astonish him how Arthur could be a complete clotpole with him and in less than a few seconds change to an adorable person.

That had irritated him beyond words before... Before he knew that Arthur did it for him. Arthur forced himself to be perfect. Arthur smiled even if he didn't feel like it. He spoke to people like Sophia even if he hated it. And everything was because of his sense of protecting Merlin. Granted, perhaps Merlin didn't need that protection and it was a little bit creepy all that possessiveness and jealousy, but it made Merlin happy to know that in his strange way Arthur was trying to prove how much he cared for Merlin, and he cared enough to sacrifice himself for him.

It was because of those things that Merlin had declared his true feelings to Arthur. He was also essential to Merlin. No matter his pratishness, his jealousy or his wrong ways of viewing things. Merlin felt he had no right to judge Arthur, when he himself had admitted his love for him.

"Ow, professor Killian is calling for us", said Sophia so disappointed that one could think that she was never going to see Arthur again. "Bye, Arthur. See you", said in unison all his fangirls as they left them alone.

Merlin watched them go with a raised eyebrow. Maybe, it was him who should be more protective of what they had. He could even relate to how Arthur felt, if he didn't have enough of Arthur's countless 'proofs of love'.

Meanwhile, Arthur took a few steps towards the gate with the bin still in his hands, but he stopped unexpectedly and said, "Ah, Merlin. There's something I forgot to tell you." That brought Merlin back from his musings. "As I'm helping you with the bin and I have overlooked all about that letter... I want a compensation."

"A compensation?", at first Merlin didn't understand what he was talking about. Nevertheless, he grasped the meaning behind his words instantly when Arthur glanced back at him with a devious smirk. Just in case, Arthur explained it.

"You don't really think that quick kiss from before was compensation enough for all my troubles, do you?", said Arthur with a hushed voice. "Remember it when you come home this evening." And with that he continued his path towards the containers.

"Wait!", shouted Merlin. He may be still in time to prevent Arthur's plans from coming true. "It was you who decided to help me with the bin." Arthur just ignored him and carried on. "Arthur! Give me back that bin!"

"Shut up, _Mer_lin", was the only acknowledgement he received. Merlin didn't give up and ran after him, but it was too late. As Arthur had said, he was going to pay for it with his body that evening.

-~oOo0oOo~-

AN2: The story in the manga really ends here. If you are interested in reading about that night, I may write a second extra about it, but it will be from my own invention.

Thanks for reading!


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